Former US Open finalist Kei Nishikori has confirmed that he and his family are safe as Hurricane Ian continues to cause destruction in America.
Nishikori lives and is based in Florida, where Hurricane Ian is doing most of its destruction at the moment.
So far at least two million people are without power with a handful of people losing their life due to the hurricane.
Some of Nishikori’s fans were concerned about his safety but the former top ten player confirmed that he and his family are safe, “Hi everyone, just a quick note to say my family and I are safe,” Nishikori confirmed on social media.
“Thank you for all the messages. It was a scary day and hope things will be back to normal as soon as possible. My thoughts are with all the people facing the results of the storm. I hope everyone stays safe.”
It’s pleasing to hear Nishikori is safe as the storm continues to cause destruction on many people’s livelihoods in the US.
Speaking of Nishikori, the Japanese star has been fairly muted on the court with him not playing a single event this season.
Injuries have been the story of Nishikori’s career and it looks as if that trend has continued in 2022.
However Nishikori could be expected to make his return to the tour in November on the Challenger tour.
That’s because Nishikori has been confirmed to compete in the Calgary and Drummondville challenger events.
The two events take place between the 6th and the 20th of November with Nishikori looking to gain some match time ahead of next year’s Australian Open.
Tournament directors Alain Calle and Danny Da Costa had this to say on Nishikori’s participation, “We’re thrilled to have Kei at our tournaments,” they jointly said in a press release.
“He’s been one of the most prolific players on the Tour since the start of his career, and even though he’s coming back from a major injury, he remains a very talented player. We’re looking forward to seeing him play again in Canada, and there’s no doubt our fans will be, too.”
The events will be Nishikori’s first since Indian Wells in 2021 where he lost to Dan Evans in the second round.